Donald Trump has set a million-dollar price tag for the ability to whisper in his ear should he win back the presidency in November, prompting ethics watchdogs to worry that the Republican nominee is selling access and political influence for personal gain. Trump is making available four new and rarely available memberships at his exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he mingled freely with unvetted patrons during his first term of office and accepted policy advice from guests scrawled on cocktail napkins . The $1m cost of each membership, which will open for applications in October, exactly one month before the presidential election, also represents a 43% hike from the current initiation fee of $700,000 – an eye-popping increase given the former president has railed against Joe Biden for what he sees as out of control inflation.
The revelation came in a wide-ranging interview with Trump published by Bloomberg last month, in which Bernd Lembcke, Mar-a-Lago’s long-time manager, justified the price rise by claiming the opulent waterfront Palm Beach club was “not desperate” for would-be members. “In October we’re going up to $1m because we have four memberships to sell,” he said, noting the club was ramping up for 30th anniversary celebrations. Trump quickly interjected to try to return the interview to other subjects.
Ethics observers say the move suggests that Trump is courting a new clique of wealthy donors eager to pay for access, while tapping a lucrat.